By Leonardo Micua   WHILE the Israel-Hamas War is still raging with just brief lull of fighting because of a four-day ceasefire, and the Russia-Ukraine War is now entering almost on its second year on February 24, 2024, both at the cost of thousands of human lives, another potential global pandemic…

By Leonardo Micua   QUESTION. Were laws violated when Councilor Alvin Coquia, who was on a vacation leave in the United States, registered his presence during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on November 21? It is an indisputable fact that Coquia was in the U.S. when he joined…

By Leonardo Micua   BEFORE leaving for China, Mayor Belen Fernandez made it a point to thoroughly inspect the progress of the construction project on Arellano Street. Recognizing the urgency and importance of this undertaking, she personally met with the contractor to impress on him the need to expedite its…

By Leonardo Micua   I DON’T know what’s with Councilor Erfe Mejia. He asked the City Secretary to submit a report on my virtual attendance via Zoom in regular sessions of the SP. He also sought from him clippings of my weekly column Random Thoughts. He manifested these during the…

By Leonardo Micua THE report of Rappler that all 42,001 barangays in the country completed the vote counting process just two days after the Election Day shed light on the efficiency and success of manual voting in the just concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in the Philippines. And this…

By Leonardo Micua ONE election battle to keep an eye on this coming October 30 is in Barangay Bonuan Gueset. The incumbent Barangay Captain, Manuel Bumanglag, is facing a tough challenge from the returning Rico Mejia. This clash between the two political giants holds immense significance as it has the…

By Leonardo Micua   A recent move by the majority councilors in the Dagupan City council is deeply disconcerting. They tried but failed to ‘disapprove’ the minutes of the September 26 session, when the P1.3 billion annual budget of Dagupan was passed. Then they initially asked that approval of the…

By Leonardo Micua   THE unfortunate incident that transpired during the October 10 session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dagupan City left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth due to the disrespectful behavior exhibited by members of the majority bloc. Instead of adhering to their own house rules and showing…

By Leonardo Micua   OPTING to be a spoiler of the festive atmosphere currently enveloping Dagupan, following the long-awaited approval of the annual budget, rather than aligning with the jubilant citizens, the majority in the city council has made it evident that they wish Mayor Belen Fernandez’s administration and its…

By Leonardo Micua   THE recent passage of Dagupan City’s long-delayed P1.3 billion annual budget by the heroic efforts of five minority councilors has brought relief and elation to all city government employees, including Mayor Belen Fernandez herself. Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez, and outgoing SK…